To express love toward the lower astral “deities” is, in the great scheme of things, one way of sharing God’s love, particularly if, by expressing that love, we are offering appreciation to Him, above all, for His inexhaustible bounty.

The ultimate purpose of visualization and of devotional images is to lift the mind into communion with the Absolute. Always, the quest must be for transcendence.

It is said that being on stage is one of the greatest fears, second only to the fear of death, but to me, being on stage seemed possibly even more frightening than dying.

As the King’s procession passed along the boulevard, the first blind man was shouting, “To whom the King gives, he alone becomes rich.” The second blind man was shouting, “To whom God gives, he alone becomes rich.”

What we draw to us now is also the result of many attitudes of the past. If people treat us harshly despite our present kindness to them, it is because the seeds of harshness have not been completely erased from our own consciousness.

Paramhansa Yogananda gave us another approach to spiritual growth that wasn’t an absolute teaching but a directional one: Wherever you are right now, try to be better. Wherever you are tomorrow, try to be better than that. The Light of Superconsciousness by Swami Kriyananda.
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The sky seems bright or sad according to our own changing moods, not to its own. True growth comes first by improving our own attitudes. Eastern Thoughts—Western Thoughts by Swami Kriyananda.
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The emotions are our “demons,” for they obstruct our growth in understanding. These demons range themselves in …

When we understand that our joy lies in doing whatever God has given us to do, then what we do is no longer a burden but a wonderful opportunity to grow spiritually. And when we act in that spirit, He blesses us.

For devotees, the purpose of all work is to put into action those divine qualities you’re developing inside. The consciousness with which you do your work is the most important aspect, not the outward form.

The sheep-lion opened his eyes, and was astonished to find the reflection of his head in the water was not, as he expected, a sheep’s head but a lion’s head.

Spiritual awakening is accompanied by a rising energy and consciousness in the spine.

Sickness is the result of breaking some mental or physical law, either in this life or in a past incarnation. It is your job to free yourself from the shackles of undesirable hereditary tendencies, including habits of ill health.

The Bhagavad Gita tells us that at the end of every day we should ask: “Which side won?” When you see that you made a mistake, admit it honestly to yourself. Don’t feel badly; just say, “I’m trying and I will do better.”

After many hours of word-battle in frog language, the sea-frog persuaded the frog of the well and his brother-frogs to visit the ocean.

Today anyone who is truly aware of human directions believes we’re in for very hard times. For devotees, such times present an extraordinary opportunity for service and spiritual growth, greater than any in recorded history.

Devotees who are unattached to the body, and who have achieved control over the life force, experience no loss of consciousness at death. They move consciously through the spiritual eye and experience what is known as “conscious death.”

Faith is much more practical than most people realize. There is an infinite reservoir of divine love and support, and if you open yourself to that flow it will sustain you.

Are moral values truly arbitrary and subjective? Can we really say people can just do what they like, and that there are no personal consequences they will have to suffer, outside of the need to maintain social order?

One day, when the great Buddha and his disciples were resting in the cool shade of a tree, a courtesan approached him, attracted by the glowing body and face of the Master.

A luxurious material life is pleasing only to the eyes; few realize “what price material comforts.” Don’t be a slave to money or possessions. Learn to live simply, renouncing unnecessary “wants” and ever-increasing desires.

Never lend money unless you can feel, in your heart, that you are giving the money away. Be sensible in your lending, however. Make sure you are helping someone whose need is real.

This story illustrates that if you leave the world for God, see that you also forsake worldly thoughts from within. Otherwise, wherever you go, your worldliness will go with you, attracting to you a worldly environment.

Yogananda never forgot for an instant that the real Doer was God. Inwardly, he was always free and at peace.